The NBA last week agreed to a multiyear deal making DraftKings the latest official sports betting operator with the league.
“NBA games are among the most captivating, dramatic and widely-consumed sports entertainment products globally, and the advocacy of the league around legal sports betting further demonstrates its consistent foresight to innovate for the betterment of the fan experience,” Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings told the Associated Press. “The correlation between sports betting and fan engagement is proven, and we look forward to the opportunities that being an authorized gaming operator of the NBA will unlock for consumers.”
Scott Kaufman-Ross, senior vice president and head of fantasy and gaming for the NBA, said the league is excited to team with DraftKings, which has established itself as one of the leaders in the sports betting landscape and has a passionate NBA following. “Our partnership will provide our fans with an authentic and enhanced gaming experience and help us further protect the integrity of our games.”
Boston-based DraftKings joins a half dozen others, including MGM and longtime daily fantasy sports rival FanDuel, with deals that allow them the rights to official betting data and NBA logos.
Professional sports leagues have long banned any connection to gambling. But now they embrace it and seek to profit from both daily fantasy sports and outright gambling on games. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a law that in effect prohibited sports gambling in most states.
The league says it will work with DraftKings to protect the integrity of NBA games.
